A working framework for nature-positive data centres
A short preview of the discussion framework we’ll be working through together on the 23rd — a mechanism for builders to pledge commitments up front and publish outcomes for accountability, across five pillars. It isn’t a proposed answer, but a synthesis of what’s already out there, pieced together to give the room something concrete to react to and improve — nothing here is settled; the point of the session is to pressure-test it and start drafting the version the industry should actually commit to. No prep needed — just a sense of the shape of the conversation before you arrive.
New demand met without prolonging fossil-fuel reliance or passing costs to rate payers.
Fund your own grid upgrades, procure matching clean power, no new fossil generation.
Load, generation mix, curtailment record.
Local water resources neither depleted nor degraded.
Independent watershed assessment; shift to reclaimed water within 3 years.
Withdrawal & consumption, reclaimed-water progress.
Siting avoids, minimizes, and restores — offsetting only as a last resort.
Avoid → minimize → restore → offset; prioritize brownfield; net biodiversity gain.
Ecological assessment, biodiversity gain vs. baseline.
No unmitigated new health or comfort burden on neighbors.
Noise tied to ambient baseline; no new fossil backup; low-emission generation standard.
Generator type, run-hours, emissions readings.
Durable, equitable, legally enforceable returns to host communities.
Binding community benefit agreement; local hiring; direct investment fund.
Hiring rates, fund disbursements, audit results.